International Journal of Advanced Engineering Research and Science (IJAERS) [Vol-4, Issue-2, Feb- 2017]

https://dx.doi.org/10.22161/ijaers.4.2.24 ISSN: 2349-6495(P) | 2456-1908(O)

Combustion and Emission Analysis of Mahua and

Jujube Biodiesel Blends as Fuel in a CI Engine
Mohammed Shamim1, C. Syed Aalam2, D. Manivannan1, Piyush Kumar1
1
PG student, Dept. of Mechanical Engg., Annamalai University, India
2
Assistant Professor, Dept. of Mechanical Engg., Annamalai University, India

Abstract This present study on biodiesel blends shows the
performance, emission and combustion characteristics of
the DI diesel engine, which is been run independently on
direct diesel fuel, 20% blending of zizipus jujbe methyl ester
(ZJME20), and 20% blending of mahua methyl ester
(MME20) with diesel. In this study, the tested fuels were
obtained by catalytic transesterification process. Based on
the experimental results, MME20 is favorable for less HC,
CO, and smoke density than diesel and ZJME20. Based on
the brake thermal efficiency and specific fuel consumption,
MME20 is better when compared with ZJME20. The result
also showed momentous improvement in the heat releasing
rate due to the better performance characteristic of
MME20.
Keywords Mahua methyl ester, Ziziphus jujube methyl
ester, Transesterification, Performance, Emissions.
I. INTRODUCTION
For many years, we are stuck or dependent over fossil fuels,
which has provided us required energy, but they are
finishing at higher rate, So we are forced to switch over to
different renewable energy sources. Due to similar
properties, biodiesel and their blends with conventional
diesel to use as fuel in diesel engines [1]. Many researches
have been conducted experiments using biodiesel in
conventional diesel engines with minimum modification. It
has been found that efficiency, brake thermal efficiency,
emission characteristics and combustion characteristics are
almost dependent on the blends of the biodiesel with neat
diesel [2-5]. After so many researches conducted on engine
parameters like multiple injection, injection timing,
compression ratio and injection pressure, and they
concluded that for better performance, lower blending
should be used, from B6 to B20, but it has been found that
the engine gives the best performance of efficiency and
other important properties with B20 mostly, after going
through ASTM specifications, higher blending is not used
because it requires appreciable engine modification to avoid
certain maintenance problem [6]. Properties like eco-
friendly, non-toxicity, and minimum sulfur content, makes
biodiesel more attractive regarding production and use.
Although, biodiesel has many disadvantages regarding
performance as compared to conventional diesel like low
calorific value, higher flash point, higher viscosity, poor
cold fold properties, poor oxidation stability, and in some
cases the higher NOx formation, but efforts are going on to
neglect these problems, it is also nothing as compared to
what we had done to our environment till now and still
continued. There are many methods to make biodiesel like
transesterfication, catalytic reduction, etc., But researches
show that among these different methods, transesterfication
is better one due to its following advantages like less
expensive, requires less pressure and temperature for
producing biodiesel, less complex mechanisms, lesser time
for production [7-11]. Mechanism of transesterification
process is shown in figure 1.

Fig.1: Mechanism of transesterification process (Source: CS Aalam, 2015)

From the literature, mahua and pongamia were chosen as diesel engine was analysed by mahua and pongamia
potential biodiesel for this study [12,13]. In this work, the biosiesel blends (20%) and found the suitable alternate
performance, emission and combustion characteristics of DI blend for diesel engine.

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International Journal of Advanced Engineering Research and Science (IJAERS) [Vol-4, Issue-2, Feb- 2017]
https://dx.doi.org/10.22161/ijaers.4.2.24 ISSN: 2349-6495(P) | 2456-1908(O)
II. TRANSESTERIFICATION transesterification reaction are methanol and ethanol.
The reaction mechanism for alkali catalyzed However, when methanol is processed, methyl esters are
transesterication was formulated as three steps. formed, whereas ethanol produces ethyl esters. Both these
Transesterification is the process of conversion of the compounds are biodiesel fuels in different chemical
triglyceride with an alcohol in the presence of a catalyst to combinations. The mechanism of transesterification
form esters and glycerol. Vegetable oil is subjected to reaction scheme is illustrated by Figure 2.
chemical reactions with alcohol like methanol or ethanol in Transesterification of rapeseed oil produces ester whose
the presence of a catalyst. Since the reaction is reversible, properties are comparable with those of diesel fuels.
excess methanol is required to reduce the activation energy, Schematic diagram of biodiesel plant is shown in Figure 3.
thereby shifting the equilibrium to the product side. The The properties of the diesel fuel and the Java plum seed
triglyceride present in the vegetable oil is converted into biodiesel are summarized in Table 1.
biodiesel. Among the alcohols used for the
CH2OOCR CH2OH
| |
CHOOCR + 3CH3OH ---------> 3CH3OOCR + CHOH
| (Catalyst NaOH) |
CH2OOCR CH2OH
Triglyceride Methanol Methyl Esters Glycerol

Fig.2: Mechanism of transesterification process

Fig.3: Schematic diagram of Biodiesel Plant

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International Journal of Advanced Engineering Research and Science (IJAERS) [Vol-4, Issue-2, Feb- 2017]
https://dx.doi.org/10.22161/ijaers.4.2.24 ISSN: 2349-6495(P) | 2456-1908(O)
Table.1: Properties of diesel and biodiesel blends
Properties Specific Kinematic Flash Point Fire Point Gross Density @
gravity@ Viscosity @ (C) (C) calorific value 15C
15/15C (gm/cc) 40C (cst) (Kcals/kg) (gm/cc)
Diesel 0.835 2.56 44 48 10,660 0.834
Mahua Biodiesel
0.8846 5.1 77 89 9918 0.8861
100%
Jujube Biodiesel
0.8910 5.4 86 94 9452 0.8990
100%

III. EXPERIMENTAL SETUP
The experimental investigations were conducted in a
Kirloskar TV-I DI diesel engine. The specification of the
test engine was given in Table 2. A single cylinder 4-stroke
water cooled diesel e n g i n e wi t h 5 . 2 k W brake power at
constant of 1500 rpm was used in this study. The
engine was coupled to an eddy current dynamometer
with control systems. The engine is equipped with crank
angle sensor, piezo type cylinder pressure sensor,
thermocouples to measure the temperature of the water, air
and exhaust gas. Di-gas analyzer was used to measure the
emissions like CO, HC and NOx from the exhaust gas.
AVL smoke meter was used to the mesure the smoke
density from the engine exhaust gas. The schematic view
of the experimental setup was shown in the Figure 4.

Fig.4: Experimental setup

Table.2: Engine Specifications

Type : Vertical, water cooled, four
stroke
Number of cylinders : One
Bore : 87.5 mm

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International Journal of Advanced Engineering Research and Science (IJAERS) [Vol-4, Issue-2, Feb- 2017]
https://dx.doi.org/10.22161/ijaers.4.2.24 ISSN: 2349-6495(P) | 2456-1908(O)
Stroke : 110 mm
Compression ratio : 17.5:1
Maximum power : 5.2 kW
Speed : 1500 rev/min
Dynamometer : Eddy current
Injection timing : 23 (before TDC)
Injection pressure : 250 kgf/cm2

IV. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
The experiment is carried out in the single cylinder, four
stroke, water cooled diesel engine. The experiment is
conducted with neat diesel fuel and with mahua and
pongamia biodiesel blends (MME20 and PME20). Engine
was found smooth through out the experiments and
performance, emission and combustion characteristics of
mahua and jujube biodiesel blends were compared with
neat diesel fuel.
4.1 PERFORMANCE CHARACTERISTICS
4.1.1 BRAKE THERMAL EFFICIENCY (BTE)
Figure 3 shows the relation between Brake thermal and
brake power. From the figure, it can seen drastic changes of
brake thermal efficiency at different Brake powers among
all three fuels. These changes occur due to difference in
properties of biodiesel blends and conventional diesel.
Higher cloud point and appreciable cetane number as
compared to conventional diesel provides the higher BTE to
MM20. It can seen that the brake power increases brake
thermal efficiency also increases, which is highest in case
MME20. The BTE was increased to 0.8and 1.2% compared
to diesel fuel in the cases of ZJME20 and MME20.

Fig.3: Brake thermal efficiency against brake power

4.2 EMISSION CHARACTERISTICS
4.2.1 HYDROCARBON EMISSION (HC)
Figure 4 shows the hydrocarbon emission with different
brake power for MME20, ZJME20 and diesel fuel. From
the graph, it can seen that all the cases of brake power diesel
produce more amount of hydrocarbon emission compared
with biodiesel blends. Due to higher viscosity and lower
volatility of biodiesel affects the combustion of fuel during
power stroke [4]. The hydrocarbon emission at maximum
load was 118ppm, 112ppm and 104ppm for MME20,
ZJME20 and diesel fuel respectively.

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International Journal of Advanced Engineering Research and Science (IJAERS) [Vol-4, Issue-2, Feb- 2017]
https://dx.doi.org/10.22161/ijaers.4.2.24 ISSN: 2349-6495(P) | 2456-1908(O)

Figure 4 Hydrocarbon emission against brake power

4.2.2 CARBON MONOXIDE EMISSION (CO)
The variation of carbonmonoxide emission with brake
power is shown in Figure 5. It is clear that at all brake
powers, normal diesel emits more amount of CO as
compared to ZJME20 and MME20.This is because of
incomplete combustion of diesel fuel. The properties like
higher flash point, lower cloud point and higher cetane
number of make this result possible. But among ZJME20
and MME20, MME20 holds top position because of better
holding these above properties. MME20 is having a lower
cloud point, higher flash point and higher cetane no as
compared to normal diesel and biodiesel ZJME20.

Fig.5: Carbon-monoxide emission against brake power

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International Journal of Advanced Engineering Research and Science (IJAERS) [Vol-4, Issue-2, Feb- 2017]
https://dx.doi.org/10.22161/ijaers.4.2.24 ISSN: 2349-6495(P) | 2456-1908(O)
4.2.3 OXIDES OF NITROGEN EMISSION (NOx) value of brake power biodiesel produce more amount NOx.
The Figure 6 shows the variation between the brake power As compared to normal diesel, which, is not required. This
and oxides of nitrogen (in ppm) formation. Unfortunately is because of biodiesel contains nitrogen in the form of
biodiesel ZJME20 and MME20 behind race of less proteins/amino compounds from their raw materials
production NOx. And it can be clearly seen that at each

Fig.6: Oxides of nitrogen emission against brake power

4.2.4 SMOKE DENSITY
Smoke is one of the most hazardous problem with the
engine, we always try to minimize this problem either by
engine modification or by changing the fuel. Figure 7 shows
that exhaust emission or smoke density with different brake
powers of biodiesel ZJME20, MME20 and normal diesel.
From the results it can seen that each brake power, smoke
density is less in case of MME20 due to complete
combustion of fuel, which in turn due to lower flash point
and higher cloud point. By this graph it is also clear that
biodiesel is able to combust properly with the same
compression ratio with which normal diesel is not. So by
this criteria MME20 is better.

Fig.7: Smoke density against brake power

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International Journal of Advanced Engineering Research and Science (IJAERS)
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4.3 COMBUSTION CHARACTERISTICS
The Figure 8 shows the variation of cylinder pressure with
different crank angle. It is clear at each crank angle the
value of cylinder pressure is higher in case of biodiesel than
the normal diesel. The higher production of pressure shows
that the combustion of biodiesel takes place in a proper
way. This is because of high volatility and better
atomization than normal diesel. The Figure 9 shows that
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ISSN: 2349-6495(P) | 2456-1908(O)
production of heat with different crank angle. It is clear that
at each and every crank angle Biodiesel acquires top
position specially MME20. This is very useful because a
larger heat production means a large amount of work
produced thus large efficiency we get. Larger heat
production is due to better combustion of MM20 than
ZJME20 and normal diesel. High cetane number and lower
flash point make this result possible.

Fig.8: In-cylinder pressure against crank angle

Fig.9: Heat release rate against crank angle

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International Journal of Advanced Engineering Research and Science (IJAERS)
https://dx.doi.org/10.22161/ijaers.4.2.24
V. CONCLUSIONS
In the present investigation, mahua and jujube methyl esters
fuelled diesel engine performance, emission and
combustion characteristics were studied, and based on the
experiments the following conclusions were drawn:
Biodiesel blends have lower brake thermal
efficiency, because of its inferior heating value.
Compared with ZJME20, mahua methyl ester blend
(MME20) has higher BTE.
Mahua methyl esetr belnd (MME20) decreases HC
and CO emissions up to 12% and 28% compared
with a diesel fuel. NOx emission increase with the
use of biodiesel blends compared to the diesel fuel.
The peak pressure decreases with the addition of
biodiesel blends with diesel. The heat release rate
also decreases with the addition of biodiesel. The
properties like density and viscosity of biodiesel
decelerate the hydrocarbon combustion and are the
reason for the lower heat release rate when compared
with neat diesel.
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